On November 7, 1940 the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
in the State of Washington vibrated violently in a 42-mile-per-hour wind.
The oscillations became so severe that the bridge literally shook itself
apart. This incident sparked a surge of research into the cause, and engineers
using solid mechanics theory discovered how the movement of a fluid over
a structure can cause serious vibrations. Knowledge gained through this
research has led to design principles for modern bridges to avoid such
wind-induced failure.